TOLEDO, OH – The last time the Columbus Clippers (69-58) faced Toledo Mud Hens (62-65) starter Derek Hankins, he shut them down for 8.2 innings and held them to a run. But Giovanny Urshela and the rest of the Clippers offense got a measure of payback on Friday night in a 6-2 win at Fifth Third Field.

Giovanny Urshela hit his 12th homer of the year in the first inning and drove in four runs total to pace the Clippers offense.

Urshela’s homer drove in Francisco Lindor in the first. Lindor led the game off with an infield single and finished with a pair of hits in five at-bats. He scored his second run of the game when Urshela grounded out in the ninth.

In the second, Matt Carson tripled off the wall in center that caromed away from the Toledo centerfielder. The next batter Justin Sellers lined a single to center to put the Clippers up 3-0 through two.

Columbus started the third with four consecutive hits to chase Derek Hankins (6-13, 5.68) and produce a pair of runs. Urshela singled in James Ramsey with a liner to right and Audy Ciriaco doubled to left to make it 5-1.

Meanwhile, Tyler Cloyd (10-7, 3.98) pitched around a pair of solo home runs to throw seven innings, allowing two runs on six and a walk with eight strikeouts.

Ben Guez homered off of Cloyd in the third to make it 3-1 and then James McCann touched him up an inning later to cut the Clippers lead to 5-2.

Josh Outman replaced Cloyd in the eighth and got the first two outs around a walk to Hernan Perez. Perez reached third and J.C. Ramirez was called on to get the final out, which he did in one pitch. After the Clippers added the run in the ninth, Ramirez returned and finished off the Mud Hens for his second save of the year.

Columbus and Toledo meet for the second of this three game set on Saturday night at 7:00 PM.

NOTES

The night after dazzling the Clippers home crowd with a 5-for-5 performance, James Ramsey got a hit in five at-bats with a run scored to extend his hit streak to six games. During this stretch, he is batting .478 (11-for-23) with three doubles, a triple, a homer, five runs batted in and five runs scored.

With the four RBI on Friday, Giovanny Urshela became the third Clipper to drive in 60 runs or more joining Jesus Aguilar (66) and Audy Ciriaco (62). He jumped Carlos Moncrief (59) in the process.

When the Clippers and Mud Hens meet again on Saturday night, RHP Zach McAllister (6-1, 1.82) will get the ball for Columbus. In his last start, he was saddled with the loss for the first time as a Clipper this season. In Monday’s 4-0 loss to Lehigh Valley, he pitched six innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits, a walk and struck out two.

Toledo sends LHP Mike Belfiore (5-5, 3.23) to the hill. Against the Clippers this season, Belfiore has no record in four appearances, including a start. In 5.1 innings, he has a 5.06 ERA.

Michael Rich is a senior majoring in Communications at The Ohio State University.

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